Firearm Suppressor Bill Receives Endorsement From No Compromise Second Amendment Organization
Jose Nino
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On April 14, 2021, Utah Senator Mike Lee introduced the Silencers Helping Us Save Hearing Act of 2021, (SHUSH Act). This bill seeks to get rid of the burdensome regulation of suppressors. It has received co-sponsorship from Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. The House version of the bill received sponsorship from Virginia Congressman Bob Good.
In a press release, Lee’s office explained what silencers are:
Silencers are a non-lethal firearm accessory used by hunters, sportsmen, and marksmen to make shooting safer by reducing—though not completely silencing—noise, recoil, and muzzle blast.
It went into further detail about the process lawful citizens must go through in order to acquire silencers:
Currently, citizens who wish to buy silencers must petition the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) through a tedious process that requires completing two copies of ATF Form 4, filling out TF Form 5330.20, obtaining a certification from a local chief law enforcement officer, obtaining two copies of finger prints, obtaining two passport photos, and mailing all of these items plus a $200 check to the ATF. After doing so, the approval process can take another 9-12 months. These requirements make the purchase of a non-lethal firearm accessory onerous and prohibitively costly.
“The current, oppressive process required to buy silencers only hurts the eardrums of millions of hunters, sportsmen, and marksmen each year, and serves to provide surreptitious gun control,” declared Lee. “The SHUSH Act would eliminate this onerous regulation to make a perfectly legal sport safer for millions of Americans.”
“Streamlining the burdensome process for obtaining a suppressor is important to protect the hearing of hunters and sportsmen across America,” stated Cruz. “I’m proud to cosponsor this common sense legislation to protect the Second Amendment rights of law abiding gun owners.”
This bill scraps the federal regulation of silencers, which is covered by the National Firearms Act (NFA) and the Gun Control Act (GCA). As a result, the SHUSH Act would lift stringent fees, registration requirements, and taxes. In addition, the bill takes out the present restrictions on the transfer, transportation, ownership, and use of a silencer.
Should the bill be passed, it will work in tandem with the Hearing Protection Act to attain similar deregulation measures while also cutting regulations of silencers from the Gun Control Act of 1968.
The SHUSH Act received support from no compromise Second Amendment organizations such as Gun Owners of America and the National Association for Gun Rights.
“Gun Owners of America applauds the introduction of the ‘Silencers Helping Us Save Hearing Act’ (SHUSH) Act. The SHUSH Act would not only remove suppressors from the federal regulations of the National Firearms Act, but also treat suppressors as any other firearm accessory – free from the infringing background check process. Senator Lee’s bill will not only benefit hunters and sport shooters, but also take much needed steps for gun owners to restore the rights protected by the Second Amendment,” said Aidan Johnston, the Director of Government Affairs at Gun Owners of America.
“Suppressors are accessories and should be treated just like magazines, scopes or gun stocks. Treating an accessory the same as a gun sets a bad precedence for anti-gun legislators to further regulate other accessories in the future. There’s no reason they should be subjected to the Brady registration scheme. We’re happy and privileged to be able to work with Sen. Lee and Rep. Good on this legislation, and excited to continue pushing forward,” remarked Dudley Brown, the President of the National Association for Gun Rights.
Although the likelihood of passage is nil, it’s good to see the conversation getting started with regards to the deregulation of firearms accessories.
The entire set of gun control laws in DC are unconstitutional and the SHUSH Act is a solid first step in hacking away at the web of infringements on the right to bear arms that Americans must put up with on a daily basis.
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